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Max Rockatansky
"Mad" Max Rockatansky, sometimes referred to as The Road Warrior, is the protagonist from director George Miller's Mad Max trilogy, appearing in the films Mad Max, The Road Warrior, and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Max is played by Mel Gibson. History Mad Max Max Rockatansky started his apocalyptic adventure as a Main Force Patrol officer who fought for peace on the decaying roads of Australian civilisation. With the world about to crumble, Max speaks little and pays little awareness to his ever growing reputation as the cop that successfully puts away the gangs due to his outstanding driving skills. Max was a very emotional figure whose range soared as high as laughter and comedy with friends and family, right down to fear and depression when he began to realise he seemed to be becoming no better than the gangs on the roads. Resigning from the Force Patrol, Max left with his wife Jesse and infant son for a life of solitude in the quiet countryside, only to have the gangs follow him. Ruthlessly, they murdered both his son and wife, turning Max into a bitter being full of hatred and anger. With his lighter emotions vanquished, Max embraced his darker side and carried out the bloody revenge killings of those responsible for his family's deaths. A shell of a man, Max then left civilisation forever, driving off into the desolate wasteland, never to return. The Road Warrior Approximately five years later, Max was living in solitude (with the exception for his trustworthy dog), having not returned to any major city. His Pursuit Special was his home, and Max scavenged the wastes of the Outback ''' for water and oil daily. It was when he discovered a besieged group of settlers whilst out wandering, that life changed drastically again for him. With a fortress constructed out of an old oil refinery, these civilised people were being harassed constantly by a local tribe, trying to steal their oil for their own. Attempting to win back his morality, Max helped the people escape only to lose both his Pursuit Special and his dog. A broken man once more, Max left them behind as they headed one way and him the other. Beyond Thunderdome Thirteen years had passed and the desolate wasteland had changed Max almost completely. His hair long, clothes torn and leathers battered, Max ends up wandering to '''Bartertown, the first civilisation he'd seen since Jesse and Sprog was killed. Eventually getting into trouble, Max had to battle his way through Thunderdome, a bloodsport created to settle differences between individuals. Max showed a brief glimmer of humanity when he refused to end the life of Blaster, a gladiator unsure of the bloodsport he's engaging in, for he suffered from Down's Syndrome. As punishment, Max ends up being outcast into the desert for his decision. It is here that Max is saved by a tribal settlement of children who believed him to be their legendary figure - Captain Walker. The good nature we see before in Bartertown turns to a sour anger when Max painfully crushed their dreams, explaining that he wasn't and that their Tomorrow-Morrow-Land they talk about one day travelling to, is nothing but a figment of their imaginations and instead tells them of the dystopian state of the world. It's when some of the children decide to leave regardless for Tomorrow-Morrow-Land across the desert that Max snapped to his senses and set out to save them from their own peril. Eventually saving them, and befriending and freeing some inhabitants of Bartertown nearby - Max completed his full circle as there wasn't a shred of disappointment for Max as he saves farewell this time. Humanity restored, Max once more leaves for the wasteland, never to be seen again - only to be passed down in legend by the children and the inhabitants of the refinery he saved years before. Max's Age Although disputed amoungst the fan community and even George Miller himself, canon follows what Miller has said in interviews. Mad Max - About 23 years old (based on Mel Gibson's age at the time). Mad Max: Road Warrior - This occured five years after the events of Mad Max, placing Max's age at about 28 years old. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome - This takes place thirteen years after Road Warrior making Max about 41 years old. Appearance One of the most iconic cult classic characters and one that sports outfits and clothes recognisable by so many, the character of Mad Max changes drastically over the years. The once emaculate MFP uniform he wore throughout the first film consists of fine, tough leather with armoured plates attached to much of the outfit. As years progress, as does the jacket. It serves alot more for armour in battle as an extra shell for Max as he does battle with the gangs of the wasteland. It's dusty and ripped in places and misses the right sleeve (where Max supposedly cut it off to help bandage his broken arm given to him at the end of the first film). Likewise a metal leg-brace helped Max walk from an injury is still see attached to his leg in the second film. Eventually, Max's hair grows wild and the jacket shows evidence of ever more usage, he also adorns a robe and cloak to shield himself from the desert sands. Equipment During the first two films, Max makes use of a V8 Pursuit Special, though he drives a different vehicle (an MFP Interceptor) earlier in the first film. In the third movie, after the destruction of the Pursuit Special, Max acquires a caravan resembling an Armoured Personnel Carrier, which he later loses. Max is armed with a revolver (which he never uses, or even draws) during his time with the Main Force Patrol, though once Jesse and Sprog are killed, he favours a sawed-off shotgun. The shotgun is his weapon of choice (though he gains several more during the course of his time in the wasteland) until it is confiscated upon his arrival in Bartertown. In the third film, he is shown to have a plethora of weapons hidden on his person, including his shotgun, a Mauser C96, several other pistols, a crossbow, and a collection of knives, all of which are confiscated. Abilities Without any doubt, Max's natural skill is driving. He was once considered the "top pursuit man" in the MFP. These abilities later lend themselves to driving offroad, evading gangs and wreckages easily and outdriving or ramming them off the road. Max even drives a large truck despite being adequately injured. Max's reflexes are lightning quick by the second film as he manages to capture a snake before it bites him. In the third film, Auntie Entity chose him to kill Master Blaster due to being the only one surviving her "audition". Mechanic skills enable Max to perform minor repairs on his vehicles, and even to rig one to explode - like his Pursuit Special. It is worth noting that a number of "Hero rules" don't apply to Max. Gunshot trauma to his left leg during the events of Mad Max is still apparent in Mad Max 2, as he walks with a slight limp and wears a leg brace, and still even wears a bandage on the knee in Mad Max 3. He has also had multiple near-death experiences almost all of which occur due to car crashes. Reception Entertainment Weekly ranked the character eleventh on its list of the top twenty "All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture" in April 2009. The magazine also listed the characters portrayed by Kevin Costner in Waterworld and The Postman as "copycat descendants" of Max Rockatansky."The Top 20 All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture," Entertainment Weekly 1041 (April 3, 2009). References External Links http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0005626 Mad Max on imdb